Located off Johnstone Strait via Mayne Passage is the remote, family-run Blind Channel Resort & Marina, a favorite destination among avid boaters. Like other remote communities and marinas in British Columbia, energy consumption and dependable energy sources is an ongoing challenge. New wind, wave, and tidal energy technologies are proving to be promising options.
Blind Channel Resort recently announced that they are working with the Pacific Regional Institute for Marine Energy Discovery (PRIMED) to create a research and demonstration site for tidal energy. Blind Channel Resort is currently installing solar panels that will work in conjunction with a tidal system to meet the marina’s power needs. The new solar array will have a maximum output of 45 kw. Tidal energy harnessed from predictable currents will be integrated into the power system. The project will demonstrate a hybrid renewable energy system using tidal, solar, and diesel power. The regional test center at Blind Channel will help promote the transition from diesel to renewable sources for other coastal communities.
The mission of Pacific Regional Institute (PRIMED) is to connect remote BC coastal communities with technology developers by providing expertise and guidance. Their work enables the development of marine renewable energy projects. PRIMED carries out field measurements and assessments that are shared with communities and technology developers to help make other projects possible.
In 2021, three fieldwork trips were made to Blind Channel. The first was in February, a day trip to monitor the electrical load system and take an inventory of all possible energy draws on the property. In April, a second trip was made and an ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler) was deployed to measure the speed and direction of current throughout the column of water. The ADCP was left at 50°25’01.7″N, 125°29’54.4″W at a depth of 8.1m. After the third trip of data collection, the ADCP was recovered by Allpen Diving on August 25th, 2021, on behalf of PRIMED.
Blind Channel Resort & Marina is now ready to move forward with their hybrid power project. Solar panels were installed in late 2024 as the first part of the project. The next step is to install the “Command Center,” an 8.5 ft. x 20 ft. sea can, containing the micro grid controller, inverters, and 110 kwh of battery storage. Construction of the Command Center is currently underway, and it is scheduled to be delivered by Marine Link in early February. The micro grid controller will be able to monitor available power inputs from various sources to optimize efficiency. It will ask for the diesel generator to come online to charge the batteries as needed.
The final phase of the project will be the installation of the new floating turbine. The turbine will be a 25kw unit produced by New Energy Corporation. The new turbine will be affixed to the same aluminum structure that was used for the original prototype with some modifications to support the additional weight of the new device. The target for deployment of the turbine is mid-2025. The new turbine will be in the same location as before. Current charts show the location of the device and sub-sea cable routing.
Header Photo: L. Landon
Solar Array Photo: Blind Channel
25 kw Turbine – New Energy Corp.
